Blog — #Depression

  By Dr. Tracy Tranchitella, ND (ZRT Laboratory) The Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) is the predictable rise in cortisol within the first hour of awakening. There are two events that contribute to this dynamic rise in morning cortisol. The first is in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone output from the pituitary as a part of the normal circadian activities of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis with involvement from the sympathetic nervous system. The second occurs in response to exposure to daylight with the activation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus, which happens within 30-45 minutes after awakening and can increase cortisol...

Dr. Sanjay Kapur, ZRT Laboratory.  Stress and depression have both been linked with diabetes and heart disease, and if left untreated, can lead to more complications. Understanding these two contributing factors can help doctors formulate suitable treatment plans for their patients, so it is important to discuss the possibility of having either stress or depression with our health care providers even if they forget to ask.  Stress can come from many sources, including one’s occupation; having lost or the threat of losing our jobs or homes; or taking care of our elderly parents or children with disabilities. Stress in all...

Why are Mitochondria Important?  Mitochondria are organelles that are present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. About 20% of our body weight is mitochondria.  The accepted theory is that mitochondria were once bacterial cells that created a commensal relationship with eukaryotic cells, and gave the eukaryotic cells the energy to become multicellular. The eukaryotes gave mitochondria more machinery and structure. Working together, multicellular organisms were able to evolve. What Are the Mental Health Manifestations of Mitochondrial Function? I became interested in mitochondria a few years back, for I had noticed that a certain percentage of patients...

When we talk about “stress,” or allostatic load, in terms of the perception of an event, we must realize that these “events” must first be translated into neurochemical signals before they trigger the HPA axis. Therefore, the sensitivity and outcome of translating these events (whether they are ongoing events, memories of past events, or stressful anticipation of unrealized events), is highly dependent upon signaling from other neurotransmitters. In fact, the signaling neurotransmitters that manage mood and affect often overlap with measures of HPA axis activation, and cannot be easily distinguished in some subjects. [1] While the detailed influence of neurotransmitters, such...

HORMONE LAB IS OFFICIAL TEST PROVIDER OF ZRT LABORATORY Click to see Saliva Hormone Test Kits Click to see Dried Blood Hormone Test Kits Click to see Dried Urine Hormone Test Kits Original of this article was published on ZRT Laboratory Blog.  It is well known fact that “sitting is the new smoking,” and that our health suffers greatly from being lazy and inactivity. The human body was meant to be in motion at least for an hour or two a day, and this is known to keep the cardiovascular system tuned up as well as preventing excessive weight gain....